Decorative sheet



A ril 23, 1935 FIG. 6.

R. G. JACKSON DECORATIVE SHEET Filed Nov. s; 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7t? VENTOR, W

m V 4 A TTORIVEYS,

April 3, 1935. R. G. JACKSON 1,998,781

DECORATIVE SHEET- Fild Nov. 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WIlllllllll 6 f' llllllllllllllllgllllllllllIll Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 28 Claims.

This invention relates to decorative sheets, coverings or panels and pertains more particularly to improvements in laminated sheet materials to be employed in fioor coverings, wall coverings, screens or purposes where sheet materials are applicable.

The improvement comprises a laminated sheet material in which a decorative fibrous sheet havingcertain outstanding characteristics is mounted on a supporting base. The decorative fibrous sheet is a type of sheet on the surface of which a nap can be provided. It is composed of vegetable or animal fibers including cotton linters, wood, wool, or grasses or the like. A type of decorative fibrous sheet that is employed is preferably a sheet such as that described and claimed in my copending applications 541,668

and 634,057, filed June 2, 1931 and September 20,

1932, respectively.

Unexpected and remarkable efiects in appearance and wearing quality have been obtained by using as a decorative fibrous sheet, a new type of felt sheet peculiar in that it has what may be defined as curled or kinked cellulosic fibers produced as set forth in detail in the above-mentioned applications.

One characteristic appearance of the floor coverings made from the curly fiber type of sheet is due to the highly desirable velvety texture of the surface which has an actual nap surface when the sheet is treated as prescribed herein. It has also been found that the final decorated and completed productis wear resisting, and will wear smoothly and uniformly with even texture and is highly resistant to bending and tearing strains.

Any type of absorbent fibrated sheet may be employed in the present invention as a decorative layer on a supporting base so long as it is possible to provide a nap surface on the finished article. The decorative layer may be of any thickness provided a nap may be raised on its surface without removing substantial portions of the layer from the supporting base or provided that the decorative characteristics are not obscured by reason of the thinness of the decorative layer to be mounted on the base. In providing an article having a nap surface, the fibrous material in the layer employed to present such a surface may be much thinner in the present invention than if the material were'used alone. The strength of the finished article can be mainly provided by a supporting layer of coarse or exceedingly tough material and yet the surface characteristics of the decorative layer may be sides of the finished article having decorations.

Certain additional peculiar advantages are obtained as a result of using the type of absorbent felt sheet described in the above-mentioned applications. There appear to be at least two outstanding characteristics of the' felted fibers in such a sheet. One is the curled condition of the fibers and the other is the swelling of the fibers. Due to the fact that the fibers are swollen, they make a more open felt than previously known; also paints and dyes penetrate better than they do in providing similar treatment to other sheets, and also due to the fact that the fibers are curled or kinked or hooked and interlocked together, the dyes or inks, although they may follow the fiber, do not spread out laterally so far as they would on fibrous material heretofore known. For this reason, more definite lines may be formed in the resultant product by printing or otherwise applying decorations. The printed or colored lines are smoother on the edges ,due to the fact that the fibers are curled anddo not extend so far in any direction into the sheet but provide strength by interlocking with each other due to the shape of each fiber. sheet, thesurface may be roughened, if desired, that is, the nap may be raised,- mechanically, after the sheet has been made. Due to the formation of the sheet the fibers after being raised are hooked together and do not loosen in such a way that they might tend to be lost from the sheet.

Featuresof the product of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 represents diagrammatically a top plan view of a section of decorative fibrous sheet material showing a portion which is decorated with solid colored figures forming a conventional geometric design;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the decorative fibrous sheet material mounted on a fiexible supporting base, and showing a nap on said sheet and decorating material extending downward through the sheet;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view showing the decorative fibrous sheet mounted on a different type of supporting base from that shown in Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views of a reversible type of sheet showing a decorative In this type of fibrous sheet on one side having a different design from that on the other and the outer surfaces having a nap;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of the lower side of the article shown in cross section in either Figs. 4 or 5;

Fig. 7 is a. fragmentary sectional view showing a decorative layer mounted on a supporting base, said layer having decorations extending well down into the body thereof but not completely through the layer;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a section of decorative fibrous sheet material showing a portion which is decorated with an embossed design;

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 8 showing the embossed decorative fibrous sheet mounted on a supporting base, and provided with a nap surface;

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view of a double faced covering showing a modified form of an inner reinforcing layer; and

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view of a laminated covering of two decorative layers cemented back to back, one of which is provided with a nap surface, and the other having no nap.

Referring in detail to the several figures of the drawings, l indicates a decorative sheet having a nap 2 and mounted on a flexible supporting base which may be of the felt type or other flexible,

fibrated sheet material as shown at 3 in Fig. 2, or of the woven type such as burlap or canvas as shown at 4.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, a flexible supportthe decorative layers may have decorations extending through the layers, or as shown in Fig. 7

the decorations may extend only part of the way.

into the body of the decorative layer 9.

In Figs. 8 and 9, the surface of the decorative layer I is shown provided with depressed portions II, and raised portions l2 presenting an embossed design. Both the depressed and the raised portions, more especially the latter, may be provided with a nap as shown.

The decorative material shown in Fig. 10 has an intermediate supporting layer l3 which includes strands or a web of reinforcing material M which may be enveloped in some flexible substance such as paper. For instance the layer l3 may be a paper reinforced with strings, or coarsely woven fabric. I

Any decorative penetrating coloring material including inks, dyes or paints may be applied in lines of different color to form any figured decoration, or it may be applied in solid colors. By way of example, Fig. 1 is shown with lines to indicate alternate squares of red and blue, thus simulating a tile efiect. Fig. 6 shows a similar decoration with smaller squares lined to indicate black and white.

The decorations may be applied to the decorative layer either before or after the layer is mounted on the backing. The amount of color- ,ing is controlled and depends on the degree of penetration desired which in turn depends on the density and absorbability of the fibrous sheet employed in the decorative layer, the thickness of the sheet, the magnitude of the pressure used when the coloring is employed, and on the degree of fluidity of the coloring material.

After the decorative media has been applied and allowed to dry, the sheet may be treated if desired with a transparent, water-proofing saturant such as a solution containing a cellulose ester, or containing resins and waxes, which partly or completely fill the remaining voids between the fibers. This is done particularly if the sheet is to be used for floor covering purposes to render the material more wear resisting. If a relatively soft sheet is desired, less saturant is forced into the sheet than if a harder or tougher sheet is to be formed.

The supporting base may or may not be a waterproofed or saturated material depending on the use of the finished article. It may be of any thickness. In the reversible type of sheet it is preferable to include an intermediate layer of tough flexible material but it is conceivable that for certain purposes it may be omitted as shown in Fig. 11 and the decorative layers attached to each other by a cementitious material.

In decorating the decorative layers, the amount of paint or other coloring medium applied is controlled so that only the quantity is applied which will sink into the surface to cover the fibers and give them color, but still leave a soft surfacehaving a nap. In painting a surface where a nap is to be raised, from 30% to 50% of the vehicle used will be volatile. In ordinary printing, such as is done on a hard surface, only from to 15% of the vehicle is volatile matter. If paints of such low volatility were used here, the nap or figures would be so matted down that a hard surface material would be produced.

The amount of coloring material can be controlled so that the decorative layer will be penetrated and yet there will not be enough left on of a transparent nature so that the colorings in a design are visible through it.

Under proper conditions, no mechanical raising of the nap is required since the nap surface is retained even after decoration and saturation. This is especially the case when the non-woven type of sheet containing artificially swollen or curled or kinked fiber of the type hereinbefore mentioned as disclosed in my copending applications Ser. Nos. 541,668 and 634,057, is used in the decorative layer.

A sheet of the latter type has numerous advantages. When coloring fluid is applied to the surface, it is rapidly absorbed and carried directly inward without spreading laterally to as great an extent as in the case of ordinary felt, for instance. Due to the curled fibers, there is practically no lateral spread of the coloring medium within the body of the sheet as well as at the surface so that uniformity of outline of the designs is obtained throughout the thickness of the sheet. This is an important factor from the manufacturing standpoint particularly in view of the type of printing machines employed for applying decorations. Heretofore extreme care in the application of decorations was necessary and special means had to be provided to keep coloring material within the confines of the outlined figures. If special equipment was not used to insure accurate printing, then great care had to be exercised in the use of liquid printing materials. For instance, in using a variety of colors, the liquid carrier of the colors had to be selected with care and sometimes non-miscible liquids were used in connection with adjacent colors. In previously known papers or felts the surface spread is very much greater than the penetration and the surface markings much more irregular than in the case of the new sheet particularly when the above mentioned precautions are not taken. This is probably due to the fact that in ordinary papers and felts, the fibers are usually matted or extended laterally thus causing applied color to run or be absorbed laterally with little penetration, whereas in the preferred type of fibrous material, due to the kinks and curls, the fibers extend inwardly ofthe sheet as much as laterally and color penetration is as pronounced as is lateral spread.

What I claim is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layerrand mounted thereon a layer of non-woven fibrous material of a porous nature prior to treatment, said last-named layer having a nap and having decorations substantially throughout its thickness.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a decorated and water-proofed fibrous layer having a nap.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a decorated layer of non-woven fibrous material of a porous nature prior to treatment, the said last-named layer having a nap on substantially its entire outer surface.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a tough flexible supporting base and mounted thereon a decorative fibrous layer having decorative coloring extending substantially throughout the thickness thereof, containing a saturant toughening agent filling the voids between the fibers and extending substantially completely through the layer, the said layer having a nap surface.

5. 'As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a tough flexible supporting base and mounted thereon a fibrous layer having decorative coloring extending in designs substantially completely therethrough, containing a saturant toughening agent filling the voids between the fibers and extending substantially completely therethrough, and having a nap surface.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a flexible supporting base and mounted thereon a fibrous layer having colored decorative figures extending well down into the body of the said layer and tinting the fibers but not filling the voids between the fibers, the said'layer having a nap.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a flexible supporting base and mounted thereon a fibrous layer having colored decorations extending well down into the body of the said layer and tinting the fibers but not filling the voids between the fibers, a waterproof transparent saturant filling the voids between the fibers, and a nap surface on said layer.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a flexible inner layer, and mounted on each side of the said inner layer a decorated layer of non-woven fibrous material of a porous nature prior to treatment, the said last-named layer having an outer nap surface.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a laminat ed sheet material comprising a flexible inner layer, and mounted on each side of the said inner layer a felt layer composed of curled cellulose fibers.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a flexible inner layer, and mounted on each side of the said inner layer a felt layer having a nap and composed of chemically curled and swollen cellulose fibers.

1-1. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a flexible inner layer, and mounted on each side of the said inner layer a fibrous layer having decorations substantially throughout the thickness of the said fibrous layer and having an outer nap surface.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a flexible in-" ner layer, and mounted on each side of the said inner layer a fibrous layer having decorations substantially throughout the thickness of the said fibrous layer, a saturant filling thevvoids between the fibers, and having an outer nap surface.

13. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a flexible inner layer, and mounted on each side of the said inner layer a felt layer having an outer nap surface and composed of curled and kinked cellulose fibers and having decorations extending well down into the body of each felt layer from the outer surface toward the surfaces of the said inner layer.

14. Asa new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a fibrous layer composed of curled and kinked cellulose fibers.

15. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a decorative fibrous layer having a nap and composed of curled and kinked cellulose fibers.

16. As a new article of manufacture, a lamv inated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a layer of non-woven fibrous material of a porous nature prior to treatment, the said last-named layer having a nap surface and having decorations extending well down into the body of the said last-named layer.

1?. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a fibrous layer having a 'nap surface and having figured decorations extending through the thickness of the sheet.

18. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a fibrous layer composed of curled and kinked cellulose fibers and having colored decorations extending well down into the body of the said fibrous layer.

20. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a fibrous layer composed of curled and kinked cellulose fibers and having colored decorative figures extending well down into the body of the said fibrous layer and tint ing the fibers but not filling the voids between the fibers.

21. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a fibrous layer composed of curled and kinked cellulose fibers and a saturant filling the voids between the fibers.

22. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a layer of non-woven fibrous material of a porous nature prior to treatment, the said last-named layer having a nap and a saturant filling the voids between the fibers within the body of the said last-named layer.

23. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a decorative fibrous layer containing a saturant in the voids between the fibers, the said fibrous layer having a nap and composed of curled and kinked cellulose fibers.

24. As a. new article of manufacture, a lami- I nated sheet material comprising a plurality of fibrous layers, the outer layerson each side having a nap and having decorations extending inwardly from the outer surfaces.

25. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a plurality of fibrous layers, the outer layer on-one side having an outer nap surface and having decorations and the outer layer on the other side of the laminated material having an outer nap surface and having decorations different from the decorations that appear on the said first side.

26. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a backing layer and mounted thereon a decorative fibrous layer having raised and depressed portions on its surface and having a nap on said raised and depressed portions.

27. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a flexible inner layer having fibrous reinforcing material within the body thereof, and mounted on each side of the said inner layer a decorated fibrous layer having an outer nap surface.

28. As a new article of manufacture, a laminated sheet material comprising a plurality of fibrous layers, the outer layers having decorations extending inwardly from the outer surfaces and at least one of said outer layers having a nap.

RALPH G. JACKSON. 

